Nonskid mechanism for dual wheels



May 13, 1941. A. J.- FUCHS 2,241,849

NONSKID MECHANISM FOR DUAL WHEELS Filed Feb. 7, 1940 ,S-Sheets-Sheet 160 I i 4 Inventor May 13, 1941. J FUCHS I 2,241,849

NONSKID MECHANISM FOR DUAL WHEELS Filed Feb. 7, 1949 5 Sheets-SheetZInventor A tiorneys May 13, 1941.

AQJ. FycHs NONSKID MECHANISM FOR DUAL WHEELS Fil'ed Feb. 7, 1940 5Sheets-Sheet 5 "I //////////VE flrffigm 1 24 22: 24mm mwl May 13, 1941.A, FUCHS 2,241,849

NONSKID MECHANISIGH FOR DUAL WHEELS Fil ed Feb. 7, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 4Inventor l fl'f/mr IF 06s A itorneys y 1 1941- A. J. FUCHS 2,241,849

NONSKID MECHANISM FOR DUAL WHEELS Filed Feb. 7, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 5Inventor 'fil'vfiar fflms A114 A? f H By Mm, Q \J Q Attorneys PatentedMay 13, 1941 UNETED STATES PATENT QFFEQE NGNSiKH) ItiECHANESM FOR DUALVJ HEELS Application February 7, 1946, Serial No. 317,749

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a nonskid mechanism for the dual wheels of avehicle, the general object of the invention being to provide asectional circular member located between a pair of Wheels and normallyof a circumference less than that of the wheels, with manuallycontrolled means for projecting the sections to increase thecircumference so that the sections of the circular member will engagethe road surface in such a manner as to prevent skidding or slipping ofthe vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to so construct and arrange theparts that the device will not interfere with the removal or replacementof the tires and rims of the wheel structure.

This invention also consists in certain other features of constructionand in the combination and arrangement of the several parts to behereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawingsand specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which.

Figure 1 is a face view of the wheel structure with the parts insection.

Figure 2 is a view looking toward the circumferences of a dual wheelstructure with parts in section to show the internal arrangement of theinvention.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing one of thesections of the antiskid member projecting to engage the road surface.

Figure 4 is a detail view partly in elevation and partly in sectionshowing the shaft and arms for imparting movement to the star wheel fromthe manually actuated member.

Figure 5 is a face view of the star wheel.

Figure 6 is an edge view of the wheel.

Figure 7 is a detail sectional View through one of the sections of theantiskid member.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a dual wheelstructure and showing a modification of the invention.

Figure 9 is a. fragmentary plan View of the three ring members locatedbetween the inner and outer tire carrying rims and showing the keys forconnecting the three ring members together.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary plan view of the two hollow ring memberFigure 11 is a view looking toward the operative faces of the two cammembers.

In the drawings, the letters A and B indicate dual wheels of a vehicle,each wheel including a felly equipped web a tire and its tube and a rimor. supported on the folly and these wheels are carried by a hubstructure carried by a shaft S of the vehicle, a portion of the axlehousing being shown at S. The tubular part of the hub is shown at I andanti-friction bearings 2 are placed between the axle and the hub and aweb forming flange 3 extends from the inner end part of the hub and hasat its outer circumference an inwardly extending felly or rim 4,apertion of which forms a seat for the tire rim a of the inner wheel 13and this rim i also carries the brake drum 5 for the inner wheel, theshoe mechanism for which being shown at e.

A star-shaped wheel 1 is rotatably supported from the huh I throughmeans of the anti-friction bearings 8 and said wheel is located betweenthe flange 3 and a ring-shaped felly forming member 9, this member 9being held on the hub by means of the bolts it] which pass through therim 4 and said member 9 is also held in position by the hub cap ll heldin place by the bolts l2. This member 9 is formed with a folly on whichis supported the tire assembly of wheel A. Hollow rings 13 and itsurround the rim i and the member 9, each of these rings having astraight inner wall and a curved outer wall with the wide part of thering contacting the member which it surrounds and these rings leave aspace of annular form which forms a widened continuation of the spacebetween the flange 3 and the member 9 and the curved portions of ringsi3 and I l are located adjacent the inner portions of the tires of thewheel parts A and B. A third ring i5 is located between the rings 53 andIt and this ring i5 bridges the space betweenthe rim 3 and member 9 andhas edge portions resting on these parts 3 and 9. The ring it is formedwith the keys 3% at its side edges for fitting in the notches 8| in therings i3 and id, as shown in Figure 9 for preventing relative rotarymovement between the three rings and said ring I5 is formed with aplurality of holes 82, each hole being arranged between a pair ofoutwardly extending plates 83 on the ring I5, these plates formingsubstantially tangentially arranged passages for the arms 16 to placesaid arms at a suitable angle to retard the action of centrifugal forceon the arms when the wheel is moving at high speed. As will be seen eacharm It has a wide outer portion fitting between the rings l3 and I 4 andbetween a pair of plates 83 and each arm has a reduced inner portionfitting in the space formed by the rim 3 and the member 9, this reducedportion passes through a hole 82 of ring l5. A segmental shoe I! isconnected to the outer end of each arm, these shoes forming an annularmember which constitutes the ground engaging element of the nonskidmechanism. Springs l8 connect the shoes with the ring l5 and thesesprings are located between the plates 83, as shown in Figure 1, andthey connect with ears l8 formed on the ring l5 and the shoesrespectively. The ring [5 is held against rotary movement by thekey-bars 85 passing through transverse grooves in the innercircumferencev of the ring l5 and in grooves in the rim 3 and member 9.The inner portions of the arms l6 are provided with the longitudinallyextending slots l9 and some of the bolts it pass through the slots tolimit longitudinal movement of the arms. The inner end of each arm isreduced and formed with a roller-like part '29 for engaging the sideedges of the projections or prongs of the Wheel I so that the rotarymovement of this wheel will project the arms and, therefore, the shoes,the springs 58 retracting the parts after the prongs free the inner endsof the arms. Each prong adjacent its outer end is formed with a recessor notch ii for receiving the part at the inner end of an arm It forholding the arm in projecting position when the wheel 1 has been turnedto a certain position. The wheel 1 is formed with a number ofsubstantially conical recesses 22 in one face thereof for receiving therounded ends of arms 23 on shafts 24 journaled in bearings 25 attachedto the inner face of the flange 3, a forked arm 26 being connected tothe other end of each shaft 24 with the forked end carrying a roller 27for engaging a thrust plate 28 on a cam member 29 which engages asimilar cam member 30 having a crank arm 3| connected therewith whichpasses through an opening in a backing plate 32 carried by the hubhousing S and actuated from a point adjacent the drivers seat in anysuitable manner by a connection 33 attached to the crank arm 3 i Thismember 30 is rotatably arranged on a cylindrical part of the housing Swhile the member 29 is held against rotary movement but permitted tohave sliding movement on said cylindrical part of the housing throughmeans of the key arrangement 34.

As shown in Figure 2 the springs it normally hold the shoes or segmentalmembers I l retracted with their beveled ends adjacent each other, asshown in Figure 1 and with the outer circumference of the annular memberformed by the shoes out of contact with the road surface or with theouter circumference of the member formed by the shoes of a less diameterthan that of thewhee l members A and B. Thus the shoes will notengagethe ground or road surface. However when it is necessary to use theinvention to stop the slipping or skidding of the wheel structure theoperator actuates the member to which the connecting means 33" areconnected so that the arm 3] is caused toipartly rotate the member 30,the teeth of which cause the member 29 and the plate 28 to move to'theleft of Figure 2 which through the arms 2E1 rock'the shafts 24 and causethe arms 23 to'partly rotate the wheel 7 so that the projections orprongs of the wheel will move the arms l5 outwardly against the'a'otionof the springs l8 until the the shafts structure.

The shoes may be of any suitable construction but the drawings,particularly Figure 7 shows each shoe as provided with an inner arcuatepart H to which the arm I6 is connected and a channel part l1" having asliding fit over the part IT with a member of rubber or the like locatedin the channel as shown at l6. This type of shoe is resilient and thebight of the channel may be provided with the lugs or projections 40 onits outer face.

Lugs 4| are used to hold the rim of the wheel A in place and these lugsare detachably held in lace by means of the bolts It.

By removing the bolts l0 and removing the hub cap I I the outer wheel Aand the ring member 9 can be removed as can also the rings I3, M and I5and the shoes I! with the arms l6 can be removed so that the ring l3 canbe removed and then the tire and the inner ring B can be removed.

Figure 8 shows an arrangement whereby the nonskid mechanism can beoperated by hydraulic or pneumatic means and in this'case the axlehousing S is formed with the cylinders closed at their outer ends by theplugs 46 to which conduits leading from a suitable source of supply areconnected. A piston 41 is arranged in each cylinder and a ring-shapedmember 48 surrounds the cylindrical part of the hub housing and issupported for sliding movement thereon by the key means 49 and thismember 48 has the projections 59 thereon passing into the cylinders andadapted to be engaged by the pistons, when the pistons are forcedoutwardly by the introduction of fluid into the cylinders. This willcause the member 48 to move outwardly so that the ring 5| rotatablyarranged thereon, by means of the antifriction means 52 will press uponthe rollers 27' of the forked arms 26 so as to cause 24' to rock andthus cause the arms 23' to rotate partially the star-shaped wheel 1'.The other parts of the device are similar to those before described.Also the brake means 46' for the inner wheel structure are actuated byhydraulic or pneumatic means, as shown at 53. Each piston 41 is providedwith a cup 54 at, its outer end against which the fluid acts.

It i thought from the foregoing description that the advantages andnovel features of the.

invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction andin the combination and arrangement of the several parts provided thatsuch changes fall within the scope of the appended claims. 7

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new 1s: 7

1. A dual wheel comprising a hub, a wheel forming flange connected withthe hub and having a rim at its outer circumference, a star wheelrotatably arranged on the hub, a wheel forming a prongs of the starwheel, spring means for normally holding the arms and the shoes inretracted position and means for partly rotating the star wheel toproject the arms and the shoes.

2. A dual wheel comprising a hub, a Wheel forming flange connected withthe hub and having a rim at its outer circumference, a star wheelrotatably arranged on the hub, a wheel forming ring member on the huband between which and the flange the star wheel is arranged, means forholding the ring member in place, a pair of ring members surrounding thefirst-mentioned rim and the ring member and spaced apart, a plurality ofshoe sections, an arm connected with each section and extending inwardlybetween the pair of ring members, said arms having their inner endsreduced and rounded to engage the prongs of the star wheel, spring meansfor normally holding the arms and the shoes in retracted position andmeans for rotating the star wheel to project the arms and the shoes,each prong of the star wheel having a notch therein for receiving aninner end of an arm to hold the arm in projected position.

3. A dual wheel comprising a hub, a wheel forming flange connected withthe hub and having a rim at its outer circumference, a star wheelrotatably arranged on the hub, a wheel forming ring member on the huband between which and the flange the star wheel is arranged, means forholding the ring member in place, a pair of ring members surrounding thefirst-mentioned rim and the ring member and spaced apart, a plurality ofshoe sections, an arm connected with each section and extending inwardlybetween the pair of ring members, said arms having their inner endsreduced and rounded to engage the prongs of the star wheel, spring meansfor normally holding the arms and the shoes in retracted position andmeans for rotating the star wheel to project the arms and the shoes,each prong of the star wheel having a notch therein for receiving aninner end of an arm to hold the arm in projected position, the means forrotating the star wheel including a number of rock shafts, an armconnected to one end of each shaft and engaging a recess in the starwheel, an arm connected with the other end of each shaft nad having aroller at its outer end and manually controlled means engaging therollers for moving the roller carrying arms in a direction to rock theshafts.

4. A nonskid device of the class described comprising a hub part, a starwheel rotatably arranged thereon, supporting means having slots therein,arms slidably arranged in the slots and having their inner ends roundedto engage the prongs of the star wheel, shoes connected with the outerends of the arms for engaging a road surface when the arms areprojected, spring means for holding the arms in retracted position, rockshafts, means connected therewith for rotating the star Wheel, rollercarrying arms attached to the rock shafts for rocking the same, a cammember supported for horizontal movement and engaging the rollers of theroller carrying arms for rocking the shafts, a second cam membersupported for rotary movement, and manualiy controlled means for partlyrotating the rotary cam member.

5. In a device of the class described, a hub, inner and .outer rimcarrying members carried by the hub, means for removably holding theouter member on the hub, a pronged Wheel rotata'bly arranged between themembers, said members being spaced apart, a pair of ringshaped members,one on one rim of one rim carrying member and the other on the rim ofthe other rim carrying member, a third ring-shaped member surroundingthe adjacent portions of the rims and located between the pair ofringshaped members, keys for connecting the third ring-shaped memberwith the rims and said third member having holes therein and pairs ofplates carried by the third member and extending outwardly, each pair ofplates :being spaced apart and forming substantially tangentiallyarranged spaces with each space communicating with a hole in the thirdplate, arms passing through said spaces and said holes and having theirinner ends engaging the pronged Wheel, shoes connected with the outerends of the arms for engaging a road surface when the arms areprojected, spring means for holding the arms in retracted position andmanually operated means for actuating the pronged wheel first in onedirection to project the arms and then in another direction to permitthe springs to retract the arms.

ARTHUR J, FUCHS.

